Federal prosecutors have slammed five Topeka men with firearm charges after separate indictments handed down Wednesday in U.S. District Court. Each man, already marked by prior felony convictions, is now staring down federal time for illegally possessing guns — a violation that carries up to a decade behind bars.
Amir Antwan Torenze Peppers, 24, currently locked up in the Shawnee County Jail, faces one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. Mason Cameron Reves, 27, of Topeka, Kan., is charged with the same offense — plus an additional count for unlawful possession of a sawed off shotgun, a weapon often tied to violent crime and covert use.
Bruce Mayo Nichols II, 34, also of Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. Oscar D. Rangel, 28, another Shawnee County Jail inmate, faces two counts: one for illegal firearm possession post-felony, and one for possession of a stolen firearm — a charge that escalates the severity under federal law.
Chad C. Ramage, 46, Topeka, Kan., completes the list, charged with a single count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. All five cases stem from investigations that uncovered guns in the hands of men legally barred from touching them.
Under federal law, convicted felons are banned from possessing firearms. If found guilty, each defendant could be sentenced to up to 10 years in federal prison and fined as much as $250,000. The cases are being pursued by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Maag, Greg Hough, and Duston Slinkard.
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigations. The indictments reflect ongoing federal sweeps targeting illegal gun possession in urban Kansas. As of now, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law — but the feds are moving fast, and the charges don’t lie.
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